Fragile Things
by green3040
Summary: After being together for quiet some time, Orihime becomes pregnant, and Ulquiorra is left fretting about the uncertainties of the children's future with him as their father.


UlquiHime FanFic:

Fragile Things

I was so used to her constant fidgeting and turning over throughout the night that the sudden stillness jarred me awake. In one swift movement, I propped myself onto an elbow, and placed my hand on her clammy cheek; mentally kicking myself for not waking up earlier. "What's wrong…?"

Orihime Inoue lay beside me. She leaned into my hand, wincing as pain raked her entire being. "I don't know for sure- I mean it might just be false, but I think I'm in labor…" I went the other side of the bed, helping her as she attempted to sit up. Handing her a pair of pants and a top to change into, I quickly pulled on a shirt and swapped out my pajama bottoms for jeans.

"Ulquiorra, slow down…" She ordered quietly, putting a hand on my tensed arm. I lessened the pressure I was putting on the gas petal very slightly. How was she taking this so calmly? Those _things _were causing her harm, and she was asking of me to get to the hospital slower because of some human law. I don't understand her…

Orihime had said before about wanting children, and I would simply change the subject. Taking care of and worrying about her was aging enough, I didn't want to be responsible for actually raising a person. Who knows how something _I_ raised would turn-out?

Though, of course, fate was against me.

I can remember that day; I'd entered the house we shared, finding her sitting in one of the chairs within the living room, her hands gently placed on her thin stomach. Something within me, as if sensing the upcoming news, sank with dread.

And there was nothing I could do about it.

Knowing I could never bring myself to abandon her, I went along with everything; going with her to buy all sorts of unfamiliar objects, the emotional distress brought upon us, her morning sickness, the doctor visits, and an assortment of other things. I thought it would eventually get better, it didn't.

On one of the many doctor appointments, we were addressed with unexpected information. Not only was there one heart beat, but another. Orihime was to give birth to twins.

I know I shouldn't, but I was growing to very much dislike these infants. They hurt Orihime, and she just laughs it off like they didn't just cause her to spit vile into the toilet, or make her pause whatever she was doing because they flipped or kicked too hard, causing her pain.

When we arrived at the hospital, once confirming she was truly in labor, the doctors hooked her up to several different machines. It aggravated me that there was nothing more the doctors could do to quicken the process, that it was purely up to the unborn infants. Orihime took this time to make phone calls; I assumed she was calling her friends. I simply stood in a corner of the room, observing her talk on the phone, always keeping one hand protectively on her bloated stomach.

We had left the house around three in the morning; it was now four-thirty. Several women burst into the room, immediately going to Orihime's side. I recognized one as Rukia Kuchiki, the others' names I didn't know but recognized from Orihime's pictures and previous descriptions.

Kuchiki gave me side glance that was surprisingly warm, not exactly friendly but not cold or blaming either. I was relieved that the other women followed her example. "Orihime, congratulations…" Ichigo Kurosaki and a few others entered the room.

I could point out those who went to Hueco Mundo before; it was odd to be in the same room as them, no one actually being hostile. They all crowded around Orihime's hospital bed, each carrying on their own conversation. Even though they were here to support Orihime giving birth to her children- our children, I felt as if I were intruding. I wanted to sink into the shadows of the room, to not even be seen…

"Okay, everyone out!" One of the girls said loudly. From the description Orihime had given me, this must me her childhood friend, Tatsuke. "I mean _everyone_, understand?" She said, addressing me. What? She was asking me to leave Orihime here to go through this on her own. Absolutely not.

Her eyes narrowed, daring me to defy her. I stared back, not planning on letting this _human_ girl tell me what to do, especially when it comes to the woman I'd vowed to myself I would protect. "Ulquiorra,"

Orihime looked more breakable then I'd ever seen her before, "It's okay, it'll be a while longer, so you might as well go get some sleep…"

No. Please don't tell me to leave…

I settled with sitting in the waiting room with the rest of the well-wishers.

I couldn't sit still; of course I'd yet to try… I paced back and forth in small, quick laps. Doing so, I caught bits and pieces of conversations, never stopping long enough to hear anything of importance. Most of the conversations were of what the genders babies would be, what they were to be named- I paused. Orihime and I had never discussed what the names of the infants would be. I continued to pace faster and faster as a list of worst possible scenarios and things I hadn't done began to form in my head.

I don't know how long it'd been since I last saw Orihime; I'd stopped checking my watch. It felt like an eternity…

"Hey, Ulquiorra," I stopped, looking up to see who had called me. It was Kurosaki. "Come take a seat. You look like your about to pass-out if you don't." Reluctantly, I sat down in an arm chair next to him. I stayed on the edge of my seat, one of my legs quickly bouncing up and down.

The visitors came and went; the only ones who refused to leave were Kurosaki and the rest of his party. I ran a hand stiffly through my hair. What was taking so long? Giving in, I glanced at the watch on my wrist. It'd been almost an hour and a half since I'd left Orihime. I got up and started pacing again. Why did I feel so useless? I could easily kill someone without a weapon, hell, I had been the forth most powerful member of Aizen Sosuke's army, and all I could do to assist the birth of my children was pace like a trapped animal.

Eventually, the door opened, revealing Tatsuki. I stopped immediately. "Everything's fine. The babies are…" I flew down the hall, not waiting for her finish. Reaching the door, I paused momentarily. Did I really want to see what was waiting on the other side? I pushed the it open; she looked awful…

Orihime's hair was plastered to the sides of her face, which had an expression of pure exhausted, but a smile was painted a crossed her pale lips.

I flitted to the bedside, gently leaning in so that my forehead rested on hers. My eyes closed as I tried to gain control of my emotions. "Why did you make me leave, Onna…?" I breathed, finally opening my eyes. She just kept smiling, "Because I didn't think you'd handle it very well seeing me in so much pain…" So, she was put through even more pain because of those _things_.

The babies. I stood up straight, reluctantly breaking contact with Orihime. Her grin widened as she followed my gaze. Two small bundles were placed in her arms. I could never have imagined this sight even if I'd tried.

They were so… small. I could just barely see their red faces; neither of their eyes were open. Pink and blue hats decorated each of their heads. How am I supposed to react? All I could do was stare in silence as Orihime ran a finger over one the infant's cheeks. "They're not identical." She giggled happily, "There's a boy, and a girl. Though I have no idea what we're going to name them. I guess we'd forgotten all about that part, but I'm sure we could think of two before long."

They were so fragile looking. I didn't even want to touch them for fear they might break. "Here, hold out your arms." She said, gently shifting them so one lay on her lap while the other was cradled in her arms. I awkwardly held out my hand as she placed the infant in my arms. "Oh, watch out for the neck; make sure you hold up the head!"

Panicking, I shifted the child in my arms until Orihime finally nodded in approval. I had been given the infant that bore the pink hat; the girl. Orihime began to babble about the babies, "They both have your hair color, but when the boy had opened his eyes earlier he had the same color I did. I'm not sure about her yet because she hasn't opened her…" She paused, "What's wrong?"

I looked at Orihime, "I don't want to hold her." She looked at me worried, "Why? What's the matter?" I didn't want to hold either of them. "She's just… I… They're so small- What if I hurt them?" For one of the first times of my life, I was terrified.

"I don't think you understand that I could hurt them, badly. They're so fragile that if I even jostled them too much, they could get hurt." Orihime just looked at me, surprised of the sudden out burst. "Onna, I'm terrified of what I might do to these children." She sighed, shaking her head.

"What _you_ don't understand is that I've thought of these things the first time I ever considered having children. I didn't have much of a family atmosphere growing up, and you…" She looked away, focusing her attention on the boy in her arms, "I wouldn't have ever asked you to be involved with these babies if I didn't think you could handle it."

Telling me this only made me realize even more that she was fully aware of what I was capable of, and what I had been through and done as an arrancar. Even then, she trusted me with the most important things to her. Our children.

She blinked, trying not to cry. I looked down at the infant in my arms. Lifting a trembling hand, I brushed thin, black hair away from her face. As if responding to my touch, her eyes fluttered. The infant's eyelids rose, revealing stunning, oh-so familiar eyes. Orihime leaned forward in the hospital bed, "Oh, Ulquiorra, they're beautiful!"

The child's eyes we're the same shape as mine, and just a shade darker. She was right, our children were beautiful. I dipped down, my lips gently brushing Orihime's forehead. She rapped a free arm around my neck. "You will make a wonderful mother, Orihime Inoue…" I could hear the smile in her voice as she spoke, "And you'll be a great dad, Ulquiorra Schiffer..."

The moment I wished could go on forever was short lived as Orihime's friends entered the room, immediately surrounding her bed. I took my place in the corner of the room, focusing my full attention on the baby girl in my arms. Eventually, Rukia Kuchiki came to me wanting to hold the child. I glanced at Orihime, she nodded encouragingly. I unwillingly released the infant.

I was still quiet afraid of what will happen to these children in the future, I sighed, knowing Orihime wouldn't let me wallow in self loathing for very long. Not wanting to be far from either Orihime or the infants, I picked my way through the crowd, standing in an unoccupied place by her. She now had both infants in her arms. I held my hands out to her, she looked at me pleased. Carefully, she placed the boy in my hands. His eyes cracked open. Orihime was right, except for the dark hair, he looked exactly like her.

A sudden flash startled me. Tatsuke was grinning behind the lens of a camera, "Congratulation you guys, I've just done the honors of taking your first family photo." Orihime replied with happy laughter.

I turned the word over in my head. Family. I'd heard it before from Orihime and several others, but I could never actually refer to myself as a member of a _true_ family. I like the thought. Orihime and the babies were _my_ family.

My very small, fragile family…


End file.
